


Someone to Depend On

by Pretzle05



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Pre-Relationship, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Relationship, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pretzle05/pseuds/Pretzle05
Summary: When Sebastian decided to go meet his biological father, he took the farmer with him. Now, it wasn’t because he was nervous about meeting the man Robin had kept firmly veiled in mystery for so many years, it was just that he’d promised that he’d take them for a ride on his motorcycle sometime and, well, since he was going to Zuzu City anyway what better time was there to fulfill that promise? It wasn’t that he was scared to meet his father alone.
Relationships: Maru & Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	Someone to Depend On

**Author's Note:**

> I know this game is, like, four years old but I finally got around to playing it and I'm in love. Specifically with Sebastian. So, enjoy! Please let me know what you think down in the comments!

When Sebastian decided to go meet his biological father, he took the farmer with him. Now, it wasn’t because he was _nervous_ about meeting the man Robin had kept firmly veiled in mystery for so many years, it was just that he’d promised that he’d take them for a ride on his motorcycle sometime and, well, since he was going to Zuzu City anyway what better time was there to fulfill that promise? It wasn’t that he was scared to meet his father alone. And it _definitely_ wasn’t that the farmer was an inarguably more likeable person than him and he thought that maybe if he brought them along then his father might like him more by association. He had absolutely no ulterior motive whatsoever. None.

He was excited, honestly. It was just that, excitement sometimes made you feel a bit like throwing up, right? He’d _finally_ managed to convince Robin to let him meet the man ~~(even though it probably should have happened by now considering that he was a grown-ass man).~~ He finally had the chance to have a _real_ dad. He knew that his mother loved Demetrius, and he wanted her to be happy, but they’d never gotten along. Not even when he was little. He was just so stern and had such high expectations that Sebastian kept finding himself unknowingly falling short of. And it didn’t help that he had his own kid—his _real_ kid—who just so happened to be a complete _genius_ in every single way. Fuck, Maru was even better at _programming_ than him, and that was _his job._

So, yeah, Demetrius had never really been his dad. He was Maru’s, not Sebastian’s. But now he had a second chance. A chance to have that kind of relationship that he’d never had before.

He just hoped he didn’t fuck it up this time.

Robin had called his father and arranged for he and Sebastian to meet up for dinner in Zuzu City. Sebastian had absolutely no idea what to expect, so he figured he should at least try to make himself look nice-ish (meaning he combed his hair and put on a better-fitting t-shirt and jeans, ditching the hoodie for the day). The farmer stopped him before they headed out and gave him a thorough once-over, crossing their arms and squinting their eyes. He almost started to sweat a bit under their critical gaze before they took a step forward and readjusted his shirt ~~(and his heart definitely didn’t stutter in his chest and his breath definitely didn’t hitch as their fingers grazed against his collar bone as they did so).~~ They brushed a bit of his hair out of his face then stepped back, tilting their head to the side ~~(adorably)~~ to examine their handiwork.

They beamed with that charmingly crooked smile of theirs and clapped their hands. “Perfect! You look great, Sebby!”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, heat threatening to rise in his cheeks. Ever since they heard his mom call him that mortifying nickname, they’d insisted on using it as much as possible. Honestly, who would have thought that the sweet little farmer who moved in next door would delight in teasing him so much. Or at least, that’s what he thought it was. He couldn’t forget the way that their eyes had sparkled as they cooed about how _‘cute’_ they thought it was ~~(which made him blush for a totally different reason).~~

He was pulled from his thoughts by their decisive little hum. “Okay, we can go now!” They narrowed their eyes and jabbed a finger in his chest. “But you better have a helmet this time! There is no way in hell I’m letting you risk getting your brains splattered all over the highway right before meeting your biological dad for the first time. Or ever, for that matter.”

He made a face as he opened up the garage door. “That was a bit graphic, but yeah, I’ve got one. One for you too. Yoba, you’re starting to sound like my mom.” He tossed them the extra helmet before fastening his own on his head and lowering the visor.

They just barely caught it, fumbling in a way that made it impossible for Sebastian to not crack a small smile. They huffed. “Well your mother is a smart woman with good advice!” They gave him another one of those bright, lopsided grins. “And she also has an interest in not letting you become roadkill. Or dying before thirty in general. Why else do you think she’s always getting on you about quitting the cancer sticks?” They emphasized their point by flicking the cigarette he had just lit out of his hand and onto the ground.

He groaned. “Those are expensive, you know. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call them that.” He pulled out his motorcycle and began to do some quick maintenance, just to be sure it’d be totally good for a ride all the way to the city and back.

They leaned over his shoulder to watch him work. They shrugged. “Hey, that’s what they are. I’ve seen it happen with my own two eyes. I can pull up the medical diagrams for you if you want.”

He rolled his eyes far up to the sky. “Now you’re _really_ starting to sound like my mom.”

“I just don’t want you dying of throat cancer on me. I’d miss you if you weren’t around anymore.”

They said it so nonchalantly, but their words made his heart thump against his ribs in a painful sort of way that even he, the king of denial and suppressing his own feelings, couldn’t deny. More heat rose to his face and he kept his gaze firmly planted down where his hands were tinkering with his bike. Maybe he should try quitting soon.

He finished his maintenance and straightened up, taking a second to stretch out his back. The farmer leaned up against a tree and watched him with an unreadable expression. The corner of their mouth turned up ever-so slightly into the shadow of an almost-smirk. He would have been annoyed had it been anyone else. “What’re you looking at?”

Their smirk widened and they shook their head. “Nothing. But I’ve gotta say, Sebby, that’s a _preeeety_ good look on you.”

He let out a very unattractive snort. “Yeah, right. And that’s totally _not_ just you trying to sweet talk me into wearing a helmet more often.”

“No, no, I’m serious.” They sauntered on over to him as he climbed onto his bike. “The dark visor over your even darker eyes adding an air of mystery and intensity to your already perpetually brooding expression… It really works for you.” A playful gleam danced in their eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I almost wouldn’t take you for an emo nerd."

He rolled his eyes again. But the beginnings of a half-smile played at his lips. “Just get on the bike.”

They popped their helmet on and did as they were told, wrapping their arms tightly around his waist. He ignored how nice it felt as he revved the engine and sped off.

It was a fairly long drive into the city, but nothing too terrible. They got there about half an hour before they needed to be at the restaurant (Robin didn’t trust his father enough to let Sebastian go over to his house), so he had plenty of time to psych himself out a bit. They walked in and sat down early, Sebastian checking his appearance once more in his phone’s camera. He ran his fingers through his mussed-up hair a few times to try and make himself look at least halfway presentable again. The tight bundle of nerves he had pushed deep down into his stomach resurfaced, bringing that slightly nauseating feeling back with it.

The farmer must have noticed him getting anxious, because they placed a comforting hand on his leg, stilling it. He hadn’t even realized he’d been bouncing it. They gave him a soft smile. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry so much. He’s going to love you.”

“How do you know that?” He couldn’t hide the drop of nervous desperation that snuck into his tone.

They rolled their eyes. “He’s your _dad._ That’s kind of in the job description.” Before he could argue that he hadn’t really been fulfilling that job for the past twenty-four years, they continued, a gentle warmth in their voice. “And there’s a lot to love about you, Sebastian.”

He turned his face away to hide his pink cheeks, but their words helped calm him down a little. “Thanks,” he muttered. “I mean it.”

They smiled at him again. “No problem at all.”

He felt a lot better after that. They made idle chit-chat for a while, talking about work and comics and when they, Sam, and Abby were going to meet up for Solarian Chronicles again (it was really difficult trying to work that kind of stuff into the farmer’s packed schedule). He almost forgot why they were there in the first place. Until he noticed an older man making his way towards them.

Sebastian sat up straighter as he approached, and the farmer squeezed his hand reassuringly under the table. He was obviously Sebastian’s father—he was tall and pale with dark hair and even darker gray eyes. They looked nearly identical save for the few strands of silver hair peppered across the older man’s head. He stepped in front of their booth and gave Sebastian a once-over. “…Sebastian?”

He nodded, suddenly finding his throat to be far too dry. “That’d be me.”

The older man cracked a small smile. “It’s good to finally meet you. You can call me Roger.” He glanced down at the table and then back up at Sebastian. “Mind if I have a seat?”

“Well unless you want to eat standing up.” He cursed his reflexive sarcasm. _‘You’re supposed to be making a good first impression, dammit.’_

Roger didn’t pay it any mind, just chuckling lightly and sliding into the seat across from them. “I see you have Robin’s sense of humor.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He never found his mother to be very sarcastic. If anything, she usually reprimanded him for having a ‘bad attitude.’

“Oh, nothing. Just that she was a bit of a spitfire when we were younger.”

A waiter came by and took their orders (good thing Roger showed up when he did. Sebastian thought they’d get kicked out if they didn’t order something soon). They sat in awkward silence for a while, Sebastian trying to think of something, _anything,_ to say to this man. He had never been good at talking to people, but this was his _dad._ That had to account for something, right? Well, if it did, it certainly wasn’t helping in any noticeable way.

Roger, thankfully, broke the silence by asking, “Soooooo, who’s this?” He turned his attention to the farmer.

“Oh, um, they’re…”

“A friend,” they supplied for him, giving his hand another squeeze under the table. “Robin didn’t want him to come alone.” It wasn’t completely a lie, but Sebastian appreciated that they didn’t disclose that he asked them to accompany him.

Roger nodded, and Sebastian thought that he saw a strange look pass over his face as he stared at the farmer, but it was gone in an instant. “I see.” He turned back to Sebastian and smiled. “It’s good to see that you have such a good friend.” A pause. “So how is she anyways? Your mother, I mean.”

“She’s… good. The same as always, I guess.” Yoba, he had no idea what to say to him. He couldn’t even hold a _normal_ conversation, let alone one with his estranged father. He glanced over at the farmer, silently pleading. They gave him an encouraging smile. “Umm, business has been good for her ever since they came to town,” he continued, slightly nudging his head in their direction.

“Business?” Roger’s eyebrows furrowed, then shot up in realization. “Oh! Did she finally get that crazy carpentry thing to work out?” He laughed; a harsh, jovial sort of sound. “Well I’ll be damned. Never thought she’d actually pull it off.”

His disbelief made Sebastian feel a little defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The farmer squeezed his knee as a warning, but he didn’t back down, eyes slightly narrowed at the man in front of him.

Roger laughed again, and he found it just a little more grating than before. He had his hands up placatingly. “Nothing, nothing. Just that I’m impressed, is all. Her parents and I never thought that kind of work was good for her. I mean, she is a woman after all.” He took a sip of his water. “But, hey, good for her. Damn, kid, you’re a little tense, aren’t you?”

Before Sebastian could retort that he didn’t take very kindly to strangers shit-talking his mom, the farmer interjected with some much gentler, if not entirely honest, wording. “He’s just very close with his mother, you see.” They smiled kindly, though Sebastian could tell that Roger’s comment had made them uncomfortable—he knew for a fact that they were very good friends with Robin. “He means nothing by it.”

Roger looked at them for a moment, and again Sebastian swore he saw an odd look pass over his face. His expression quickly melted into a smile and he nodded. “Ah, I see. That’s good.”

By the grace of Yoba the waiter returned with their food, allowing for a break in the conversation—and for Sebastian to cool off a bit. What was that all about? Sexist, obviously, but also just… really condescending. And then there was that weird way he kept staring at the farmer that he couldn’t quite place, that he continued to do as they ate. He seemed nice enough, but as of now Sebastian really didn’t know what to make of this guy.

The farmer was the one who decided to pick the conversation back up. “So, Roger, what do you do for work?”

He looked up from his plate and swallowed his food. “Oh, I’m in sales. Real estate, mostly. And you?”

“Me? I, uh, took over my grandpa’s farm a little over a year ago.”

He clapped his hands together suddenly, making both Sebastian and the farmer jump. “So you’re the old kook’s grandkid! Lord, I’ve not heard anything about him since I left the valley. How’s he doing?”

They glanced to the side, their lips tightening just barely. “Oh, he, um… He died about twelve years ago. I didn’t learn that he left the farm to me until recently.”

They didn’t talk about their grandpa very often, and Sebastian could tell that the subject was beginning to upset them. He returned their gesture from earlier, squeezing their hand under the table. They squeezed back, giving him a small smile.

Roger either didn’t notice their exchange or he didn’t care because he just kept on smiling. “Really? Wow, too bad kid. But I guess it was coming sooner or later. He was pretty old even when I knew him, and that was a _long_ time ago. Let me tell you, that guy was _crazy._ He did nothing but work that farm and run around the mines for _decades_ without a second thought. He was convinced Stardew Valley was, like, Nirvana or something. Wackjob was obsessed with the place.” He chuckled a little to himself.

The farmer’s jaw clenched with every word he said, and their eye twitched almost imperceptibly, as though they were holding their tongue. Sebastian had no such qualms about telling him off. “Hey, it’s a sensitive subject for them. Could you maybe not badmouth him right in front of them?” He didn’t care to soften the bite in his tone.

“Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it.” He waved his hand flippantly. “He was a decent guy, just a bit off his rocker. But a farmer, eh? That’s honest work. And hey, you have great job insurance.” He winked. “People’ll always be hungry.”

They chuckled weakly, still very obviously uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess… But, um, Sebastian is actually a very successful programmer!” They seemed eager to take the focus off of themselves.

Sebastian rubbed the back of sheepishly. “I wouldn’t say _very_ successful, but I do alright.”

Roger perked up. “Programming? Like with Joja? Or do you work for a web developing company?”

“I’m a, uh, freelancer, actually. I do a bit of everything.”

“Oh.” Roger’s face fell, his voice and eyes dull. He took a few more bites of his food. “………...So when are you planning on getting a real job?”

Yoba, if he hadn’t had this conversation with Demetrius three thousand times. Looked like he was just destined to disappoint any fathers he ever had, He sighed, At least he knew what to say to get it over with quickly. “Programming _is_ my real job. I take clients, I do work for them, and I get paid. That’s a real job if I ever heard of one.” (It didn’t matter that it was only part-time). He stabbed his food with his fork and continued eating, not leaving any room for argument.

The silence after that was much rifer with tension than before. If anything good came out of this whole conversation it was that he definitely knew what to make of his father now: he was a jackass. Or at least a bit of a regular ass. And Sebastian just wanted to finish his meal and get out of there as soon as possible.

Roger cleared his throat, and as little as he wanted to continue giving him the time of day, he got Sebastian’s attention. “So, um, Seb—you mind if I call you Seb?” He did in fact mind, but he didn’t give him the opportunity to respond. “There’s uh… a reason why I agreed to come meet you here today.”

He raised an eyebrow. A reason other than meeting his _son_ for the first time in his life. What could that be about? He just met the guy; it wasn’t like there was anything he could give him—at least he didn’t think so. He crossed his arms. “Enlighten me.”

“I know that I already asked how your mother is, but… how is she really?”

“And I already told you that she’s doing fine. What the hell does that mean?”

“I know, I know she’s okay _financially,_ but… you know… emotionally. I mean, running a carpentry business is a lot of work for a lady, especially without a strong man helping her out—and I was wondering if maybe she’d like to see me again sometime. So I can help, of course.”

Sebastian could barely hear the last bit of what he said over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He snapped. “She’s married, actually. Has been for a _very long time._ They have their own kid, even.” Roger’s eyes widened and his mouth opened like a gaping fish with surprise, but Sebastian cut him off before he could react. “I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute." He slid out of the booth and stormed off to the bathroom, leaving Roger and the farmer staring after him.

Luckily, no one else was in the bathroom to witness his outburst. He slammed the door behind him and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He took a few deep breaths, running a hand through his hair. What the ever-loving _fuck_ was that about?!?!? So the only reason that he agreed to even meet him—his own _son_ —was so he could help his shack up with his _mom?!?!?_ Sebastian was seething, his fists clenching painfully on the edge of the sink. What bullshit. But more than anything, Sebastian was angry with himself. He was such a _moron._ He should have expected this. He could see now why Robin didn’t want him to meet this prick.

He took a few more minutes to calm himself down before leaving the bathroom. He stalked back to the booth with every intention of just grabbing the farmer and leaving, but something gave him pause. He could overhear their conversation from where he stood around the corner. He usually wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but Roger said something that sent his head reeling with rage.

“So, are you fucking my son?”

He heard the farmer sputter and squeak. “W-w-what?! No! Why would you think that?!”

He didn’t answer their question. “No? Cool. So, how about you gimme your number? You and I can get some drinks sometime. Are you old enough to drink? Eh, doesn’t really matter.” Before they could respond, he went on. “Damn, you’ve looked so sexy all night, kid. Why not try having some fun with a _real_ man?”

Yoba, he could _hear_ the slime oozing out of his voice. Sebastian didn’t wait for the farmer to respond to that _disgusting_ question before charging over, his vision swimming with red. He grabbed their arm a bit more roughly than he’d like, but he found it difficult to think much about it through the haze of anger. “Fuck off, Roger. Don’t bother calling.” And with that, he yanked the farmer out of the booth and stormed out of the restaurant.

He didn’t look back at the farmer as he tossed them their helmet, climbing onto his motorcycle wordlessly. In hindsight, he probably should have checked to make sure they were okay—that he hadn’t _touched_ them or anything— but in the moment he was too furious to do anything but drive. He was vaguely aware of the farmer grabbing onto him tightly as he suddenly sped off, which he did feel a little bad about. He could feel their concerned gaze boring into the back of his skull, but he couldn’t bring himself to care much as he turned onto the freeway. All he could think about was getting as far away from that slimy, two-faced shit-for-brains as possible.

How _dare_ he? How **_fucking dare_** he? He makes _no_ effort to be a part of Sebastian’s life for _twenty-four years,_ and when Sebastian finally tries to reach out to him (note that it’s Sebastian who has to do the reaching-out) he has the audacity to insult his career, insult his mother, and creep on the person who was arguably his best friend? Yoba, he felt like a complete _idiot_ for thinking that it was going to go any other way. He should have just listened to Robin (which is not something he often admits) and stayed away from his ass-wipe of a so-called “father.”

It wasn’t until they were almost all the way back to Stardew Valley that he was finally pulled out of his thoughts by the farmer moving their hand from his waist to rest gently on his arm. “Hey,” they murmured as softly as possible while still remaining audible over the rush of wind in their ears. “Are you okay, Sebastian?”

Any other time, hearing them say his full name may have made Sebastian’s stomach twist in that oddly pleasant way that he was slowly growing more and more accustomed to, but right now it just made another bout of anger rise up in him. “I’m fine.” He knew he was being curt, but he couldn’t seem to hold back the iciness in his tone. The last thing he needed was the farmer trying to get him to talk about his _feelings,_ like they usually do.

They shrunk back a little. “Oh, okay… But, uh… if you’re _not_ okay that’s, um… okay, you know?”

He sighed deeply. He couldn’t stand that timid, broken little tone. “I’m fine, really,” he said a bit more kindly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“O-okay. Just, um… I’m here for you if you ever do.”

“Yeah, I know.”

They spent the rest of the drive in tense silence. It was dark by the time they got back to Sebastian’s house. He parked the motorcycle in the garage and packed away their helmets wordlessly. He hadn’t completely forgotten his manners, so he mumbled a quick, “Thanks for coming with me,” to the farmer. Their big, round eyes still stared at him worriedly, but he didn’t say anything else as he walked past up to the front door.

“Wait!” The farmer stopped him right as he was about to head inside. They seemed surprised by their own outburst, immediately growing timid again. “A-are you sure you’re alright? Talking might… might help.”

He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew they just wanted to help, and he felt like shit for worrying them, but they were starting to get on his nerves a little. “No, I’m fine. Really. I just… see you tomorrow.” Before he went inside, he added, “And stop with the stuttering. It’s not a good look on you.” It might have been a little harsh, but that’s what he left them with as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

The farmer stood in front of Sebastian’s house feeling conflicted. He was obviously upset, but he wouldn’t even let them _try_ to help! And then he ditched them with that _rude_ remark! (They couldn’t help that he was a bit intimidating when he was mad). Yoba’s name, they swore he was one of the most frustrating men they had ever met! It wasn’t like they could just _leave,_ not when they knew their friend was hurting like that, but they didn’t think he’d take too kindly to them bursting into his room and demanding he talk about his feelings. They didn’t think he’d be willing to talk to them at all. They sighed. They just didn’t know what to do.

“That doesn’t sound good.” The farmer’s head whipped around to find Maru walking over from her telescope. “What did my brother do now?” She narrowed her eyes. “He didn’t act like a total jerk on your date, did he? I swear if he did, I’ll make sure to give him a talking to!”

“W-what? No, no, and um… we weren’t on a date.” They cursed the heat they could feel rising to their cheeks.

Maru cocked her head to the side like a curious puppy. “Really? Then where were you two all day?”

The farmer was quite surprised that Maru didn’t know. She was Sebastian’s sister; how could she not be aware that he was meeting his biological father? Well, they knew that he wasn’t very close to her, so it made sense that he wouldn’t have told her, but they figured that Robin or Demetrius would have said something about it. Their surprise showed in their voice. “Oh, you don’t know? Robin set up a dinner for Sebastian to meet his biological dad today in Zuzu City, and he asked me to go along with him for moral support.”

Her eyebrows shot straight up. “Oh wow! That’s, uh, quite the occasion! I’m happy for him. Though I kinda wish he would’ve told me.” Her brow furrowed. “But that’s a good thing? So why were you sighing?”

They looked down at the ground and rubbed their arm. “Well, it, um… it didn’t go well. At all. The guy ended up being a total skeezeball and Seb got really upset and kind of stormed out.” They sighed again. “And he’s obviously really hurt but he won’t talk to me. I can’t _stand_ seeing him like this and I want to help make it better, but I don’t know what to do if he won’t even talk to me!” They threw their hands up in frustration then rubbed their temples. “I just… I don’t know what to do.”

Throughout their tirade, Maru’s expression had morphed into one of concern. “Oh no, that’s awful. I can see why he’d be upset.” She looked off to the side forlornly. “I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“Wait, that’s it!” It was like a lightbulb went off in their head. _“You_ should go talk to him!”

“What, _me???_ I, uh, don’t mean to shoot you down, but what in Yoba’s name makes you think that he’d _ever_ want to talk to me? He _hates_ me!” Maru vehemently shook her head and wrung her hands together nervously. “No, I think you’d be better cut out for this. At least he likes you.”

“He doesn’t _hate_ you, Maru.” They rolled their eyes. “He just feels a little overshadowed by you sometimes. Okay, a lot, most of the time. But I really think it’d be good for both of you if you talked to him. You were just telling me the other day how you wished you were closer, right?”

“Right…….”

“So now is your chance!” She still looked uncertain though, so the farmer placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. “C’mon, Maru. I know you’ll do fine. I trust you. You care about him, right?”

“Of course I do! He’s my brother! I just… don’t know if he cares much about me…”

She seemed so dejected, so they gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “He does. He’s just bad at showing it, and he doesn’t really feel like any of you want him around.” She opened her mouth to protest, but they cut her off. “Don’t tell me, I already know it’s not true. Tell him. Let him know that you’re there for him.

After a long, thoughtful pause she conceded. “…Okay. But if it all goes wrong and he kicks me out of his life forever I’m 100% blaming you.”

The farmer laughed and smiled crookedly. “Feel free. Just take care of him. I feel a lot better about heading home now that I know he’s in your capable hands. Goodnight, Maru. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that they made their way back down the road to their farm, leaving Maru wondering how the hell she was supposed to get her stubborn, closed-off half-brother to open up to her.

* * *

Sebastian groaned when he heard a knock on his door. He thought he’d made it abundantly clear to the farmer that he didn’t want to talk. But of course, they didn’t listen. Though, he was a little confused as to why they bothered knocking—they usually just barge in. He had half a mind to not answer and continue working (he thought maybe a little programming would help take his mind off things. It didn’t.) but knowing them, if he didn’t they’d just let themself in eventually. He let out a deep sigh and got up to open the door. “Look, I already told you I want to be left alone so just go home alre—” As he opened the door, he came face-to-face not with the farmer, but with Maru, her fist raised to knock again. She looked uncharacteristically nervous. He immediately drew back. “Oh, uh…. Hey Maru. Thought you were someone else. What do you want?”

She looked off to the side and rubbed her arm. “Yeah, just, um… can I come in? I’d like to talk.”

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. She almost never wanted to talk to him, and he really didn’t feel like dealing with family drama on top of everything else that had happened that day. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned up against to door frame, blocking her way in. “Why?” he asked gruffly.

She seemed to struggle for words for a few moments before she decided on what to say. “You seemed pretty upset when you got home is all. I wanted to know what’s up.”

Yoba, the farmer definitely set her up to this, didn’t they? There was no way Maru would have approached him out of genuine _concern._ “Well, I’m fine,” he snapped. “Leave me alone.”

He went to close the door, but Maru stopped it with her foot. “You’re obviously _not_ fine. Come on, Sebastian, I just want to talk.”

“Well I _don’t._ So go away!” Without thinking, he added, “It’s not like you actually care.”

He had never seen Maru so offended. “Of _course_ I care! I’m your _sister!_ Yoba forbid I actually try to be involved in your life!” She scowled, her hands on her hips. “I try to have a simple _conversation_ with you and I get attacked!”

“Well _excuse me_ if I don’t jump at the chance—it’s not like you’ve ever given half a shit before.” Before she could even respond, he added., “And don’t even _try_ to tell me that the farmer didn’t tell you to talk to me, and that it’s _not_ the only reason you’re pretending to care.” He knew he was being _very_ harsh, probably needlessly so, but he just couldn’t hold back with his blood boiling so hot at her pretense and his nerves still so raw from his biological father’s betrayal.

She stammered, unsure of what to say, confirming his theory. “That’s what I thought,” he mumbled. “I think we’re done here.” But before he could close the door, she pushed it back open again.

She sighed, defeated. “Okay, yes. They _did_ ask me to check on you,” she admitted. “ _But._ They are really worried about you. And frankly, so am I.” Her tone became gentle as she looked at him earnestly. “I heard you had a really rough day today. I want to help, Seb. Will you let me?”

He paused. She seemed… sincere. Like maybe she actually did care. He wasn’t in the habit of sharing his feelings, especially not with his family, but maybe… maybe it would help. And if she really just wanted to hear what happened… then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. What’s the worst that could happen. He shrugged and stepped out of the doorway. “Fine. You can come in, I guess.” She didn’t move right away, just blinked, as though she couldn’t believe he’d actually given in. He smirked ever-so slightly at her dumbfounded expression. “What’re you waiting for—a formal invitation?”

“R-right. Thanks.” She snapped out of it and followed him inside his room. She stood awkwardly right past the doorway as Sebastian sat himself down on the couch with a sigh.

He patted the cushion next to him. “C’mon. Sit down. You wanna watch something?”

“Oh, um, sure.”

She sat next to him and he put something mindless on. It wasn’t like they could really see it from that angle anyway. They sat together in silence for quite some time, Sebastian trying to think up how the hell he was supposed to talk to his sister. It wasn’t like they’d had many heart-to-hearts before. Hell, they’d not had many civil conversations before. But, to be fair, most of that was his fault. Damn, he really wanted a cigarette. But he knew how his mom felt about him smoking in the house, and Maru would undoubtably yell at him about it, so he was out of luck.

He decided to just bite the bullet. “…So how much did the farmer tell you?”

She seemed a little surprised at the question, but she responded, “Not much. Just that the two of you went to meet your biological dad and that it… didn’t go well.”

He let out a long breath. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”

“So, um… what exactly happened?”

Yoba, where does he start? How much was he really willing to tell her? A deep, dark part of him wondered what she would think of him if she knew what an awful person his real dad was. If she would think less of him knowing where he came from. He shoved that glint of fear deep down right back where it came and trudged on. “He was… nice. At first, at least. Really friendly and laid-back.” He swallowed. “But he was just… really off. He kept looking at the farmer really weird and he made some snide comments.”

Maru cocked her head to the side. “Really? Just that? I mean, that sucks, but you seemed _really_ upset.”

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day, resting his elbow on the armrest and his head in his hand. “Well, ‘snide’ might not be the best word. ‘Slimy’ might be more fitting.” He let out another long breath through his nose as he wracked his brain for what to say. He _really_ wished he has a cigarette. He had cooled off a little but thinking about the scummy things his father said made his whole body feel tense. “He… talked about mom. Women in general, kind of, but also specifically about mom.”

“What… exactly did he say, if you don’t mind my asking?”

She seemed genuinely concerned and curious, so he decided to confide in her. “He said… stuff about how he agreed with her parents—about how she shouldn’t have tried to be a carpenter, because it isn’t ‘women’s work’…” He made air quotes. “Or something.” He shrugged. “It just… upset me. A lot. And then the bastard started asking me if she ‘needs a bit of help’ with her business. Yoba, he wanted me to help him hook up with her again!” He slammed his hand down on the computer desk next to him and he saw Maru jump. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling a little guilty. “Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay. You’re right to be angry. He sounds like a total ass.” Her grimace softened. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” Her arm twitched, like she was about to move it but hesitated. After a second of conflicting emotions flashing across her face, she raised her hand and placed it tentatively, comfortingly, on his shoulder. “I’m really sorry he turned out to be such a prick. I… take it you were looking forward to meeting him?”

He was a bit surprised, but he didn’t shrug her hand away. “Something like that.” They sat in silence for a little while, the sound of some popular TV show thrumming dully in the background. He spoke up again, quietly this time. “You know, that probably should’ve been what upset me the most—him shit-talking mom—but… it wasn’t. I still stayed, albeit only for a little bit.” He chuckled humorlessly.

“What else happened? What did he say?”

Sebastian debated with himself for a moment: whether or not he should tell Maru this. Whether it was even something he could talk about. It wasn’t like it happened to _him,_ after all. Would the farmer be okay with him telling her? _‘Well, you’ve come this far. Might as well get everything out there.’_ “…After he said the stuff about mom, I got really angry so I went into the bathroom for a little bit to cool down.” Maru looked up at him encouragingly, spurring him to go on. “Well, as I was walking back to the table, I… overheard him talking to the farmer.”

“And…?”

“He… it was bad, Maru. Yoba, he asked them if we were sleeping together and then he asked for their number and if they wanted to get a drink with him and he’s _at least_ fifty-three and they were so uncomfortable and I just… I just got so mad I dragged them out of the restaurant and _Yoba,_ I’m such an ass I didn’t even check on them.” He groaned and rubbed his face. As much as the dawning realization of his tactlessness made him feel nauseous, talking about it also felt oddly… freeing. Like a weight was being lifted off his shoulders. And once he got going, he couldn’t seem to stop, the words falling out of his mouth almost against his own volition. It was… nice. _‘Huh. Maybe the farmer was right after all.’_

Maru hadn’t taken her hand off of his shoulder throughout his tirade, and she gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure they don’t hold it against you. But, yeah, that’s really bad. I’m so sorry And…” She looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry for making you think that I don’t care about you.” She laughed dryly. “I’m a pretty crappy sister, aren’t I?”

He was taken aback. He certainly never expected her to apologize. It wasn’t like he hadn’t given her ample reason to dislike him—he’d been a giant ass to her for the majority of her life because of his own feelings of inadequacy. He realized now that none of that was really her fault, so her apology just made him feel like an even bigger jerk. “Hey, don’t be like that. I suppose I haven’t been the greatest brother in the world either.”

She smiled at him. “So I guess we’re even?”

He cracked a small smile in return. “Yeah, I guess we are.” He glanced to the side and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “And, uh… thanks for listening to me.”

“Anytime, Seb. Thanks for telling me.” She pulled him into a tight hug, startling him. He tensed, but after a moment he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her as well, giving her a quick squeeze.

She released him, a wide grin plastered on her face. He coughed into his fist and looked off to the side again. “So, um… Sam, Abigail, and the farmer are going to be coming over next Friday for Solarian Chronicles. Would you maybe… like to join us? I know the farmer would be happy to see you.”

Maru blinked, eyes wide. Then another toothy smile slowly grew on her face. “Yeah. I think I’d like that.” Her expression turned curious. “But I do have one question, though.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

_“Are_ you and the farmer sleeping together?” 

“Maru!”

“Just asking!”


End file.
